Abstract
One of the main goals of organizational leadership is managing human resources in an effective and efficient manner. Effective and efficient organizational leadership should focus on turning human resource departments into production centers by motivating employees to give their maximum output towards achieving organizational goals. One of the most common elements found in successful organizational leaders is charisma. Charismatic leadership is very important because it motivates employees to give their best output towards achieving organizational goals. There are certain unique characteristics embodied by charismatic leaders that are rare to find in ordinary leaders. Studies have established that charismatic leaders are also creative, convincing, risk-takers, inspirational, and highly confident.
Introduction
Leadership plays a crucial role in organizational success. Organizational leadership focuses on managing available resources in an effective manner in order to achieve shared goals and influence change (Bass & Bass, 2009). One of the main goals of organizational leadership is managing human resources in an effective and efficient manner. Employees are valuable organizational assets, which should be handled with a lot of professionalism. The value of employees to an organization keeps improving as the concept of human resource management continues to develop.
In the 20th Century, employees had less value because they were considered as liabilities because they did not generate any income (Dessler, 2010). However, human resource management in the 21st Century focuses a lot on promoting the value of an organization’s human resources, as they play a crucial role in achieving success. Effective and efficient organizational leadership should focus on turning human resource departments into production centers by motivating employees to give their maximum output towards achieving organizational goals. To achieve this feat, organizations should ensure that the employees have good leaders who will understand their needs, aspirations, and the best way to achieve them (Dessler, 2010).
Leadership in successful organizations focuses on promoting an inclusive human resource management approach that encourages employees to participate in organizational processes such as the decision-making process. Ensuring employee participation and engagement is a sign of good organizational leadership. Studies have shown that one of the most common elements found in successful organizational leaders is charisma. A charismatic leader is an individual who is visionary, reliable, and has a reliable personality that enables him or her to influence change through people (Bass & Bass, 2009).
Discussion
Charismatic leadership is very important because it motivates employees to give their best output towards achieving organizational goals. Experts argue that organizational leadership applies in three dimensions that also influence the process of decision-making (McMahon, 2008). The three dimensions are vision, strategy, and people. Leaders focus on achieving organizational goals and a competitive advantage in the market by focusing on the three elements. First, it is important for organizational leaders to identify the direction of an organization and their attitude towards success that is defined through a vision. An organization develops its vision by setting specific and attainable goals that dictate the planning process (McMahon, 2008).
A vision should guide a leader on the things that should be done to achieve success. These things include identifying the right market for a product, new products that can be featured, the kind of technology required for production, and the right people to hire as employees, among others. Second, organizational leadership focuses on developing and implementing the right strategies for achieving the vision (McMahon, 2008). A good leader should be able to identify the various needs within an organization and develop an effective plan for meeting them. Strategic leadership entails assessing the performance of an organization, its employees, and pinpointing areas that need to be improved (Dessler, 2010).
An effective leader should demonstrate a good knowledge of the organization by reorienting its structure and corporate culture to focus on filling any gaps identified (Bass & Bass, 2009). This element mainly focuses on the organizational ability to manage change in an effective manner. Third, organizational leadership focuses on identifying and motivating people that will help in implementing the strategies developed. This element of organizational leadership defines the path of success that an organization takes. It involves the ability of organizational leaders to make the most out of the decision-making, as well as the recruitment and selection processes (Dessler, 2010). It is important for leaders to ensure that they recruit the right people in terms of job experience, attitude, and competencies. A highly skilled, motivated, and supportive workforce helps to make leaders and their organization to be successful.
Human resources are the most valuable assets for an organization, and leaders should use them effectively to achieve success. Successful organizational leadership also entails the promotion of ethical principles. Leaders should ensure that the structure and corporate culture of an organization embodies the principles of right and wrong. Ethical principles are relative to every organization based on the things they do (Bass & Bass, 2009). Both organizational leaders and employees have an ethical responsibility to promote the principles of morality through their work. Organizational ethics should focus on ensuring every stakeholder remains impartial and engaged towards achieving prolonged success (Winkler, 2010).
Characteristics of charismatic leaders
To succeed as a leader, one needs to have certain qualities that enable them to assess and identify the needs of their followers. One of the essential elements that organizational leaders ought to have is charisma. Studies have established that charismatic leaders are people with great confidence, style, and strong personality (McMahon, 2008). In addition, these types of leaders are believed to have the ability to attract people towards them because of their ability to motivate them towards fulfilling their potential. People tend to follow, and like individuals who inspire them to believe in their abilities and develop a huge desire for success.
People desire to be successful but lack the ability to move from one point to another. However, certain people appear along the way and provide a new perspective on approaching things (Winkler, 2010). Charismatic leaders are also associated with change, as they have an innate desire to transform things from a poor to a desired state. This explains the reason why charismatic people make good organizational leaders. Organizational leadership entails a lot of change management, as the dynamics of the workplace environment keep changing every now and then (Dessler, 2010). However, there are certain unique characteristics embodied by charismatic leaders that are rare to find in ordinary leaders.
First, charismatic leaders are very mature. According to leadership experts, the true measure of a leader’s personality and maturity level is their ability to influence change and attract followers (McMahon, 2008). A mature leader understands the value of wisdom and the best way to apply it in order to get the best out of situations. Organizational leadership encompasses more than just the power of authority but includes the ability of a leader to make a better analysis of situations and make reliable decisions that will not compromise the interest of others. A charismatic leader should make decisions that help an organization to survive tough times, make a quick recovery, and achieve a competitive advantage in the market (Winkler, 2010).
Second, charismatic leaders are good communicators. Good interpersonal and communication skills are essential for any individual to succeed as an organizational leader. Employees are motivated towards achieving organizational goals by good communication skills because their attitudes depend on the way information is delivered (McMahon, 2008). Charismatic leaders understand the effect that engaging employees one on one has on their motivation to work. When employees get to engage freely with their leaders, they often develop an attachment towards organizational goals. Employees also develop a sense of responsibility, thus ensuring effective and efficient attainment of organizational goals. Good communication within the workforce helps to strengthen the spirit of teamwork, cohesion and believing in each other (Dessler, 2010).
Another characteristic feature of charismatic leaders is humility (Bass & Bass, 2009). Experts argue that charisma and pride cannot coexist. Studies have shown that people are attracted to charismatic leaders, mainly because of their disposition to be humble and willing to listen to the concerns of others. Organizational leadership entails dealing with a diverse workforce where people have different experiences, needs, interests, and abilities (Winkler, 2010). Effective management of diverse workplaces requires a humble leader who will have time and desire to help people deal with their problems and make the best out of their abilities.
Humble organizational leaders find it easy to convince employees to support them in promoting any kind of initiative geared towards achieving organizational goals. Research has shown that employee retention strategies are very effective under charismatic and humble leaders because they are able to promote the value of loyalty (Winkler, 2010). Charismatic leaders are also conscious of the impact of their actions. Organizational leadership involves a culture where people will follow the examples of their leaders and do whatever they instruct them to.
It is important for leaders to ensure that they observe the value of the elements they pass on to their followers (Winkler, 2010). Charismatic leaders understand the importance of providing substance to their followers by ensuring quality, longevity, and an overall attractive image. A leader who values substance will motive his or her followers to strive towards achieving prolonged success and competitive advantage in the market (McMahon, 2008). These two elements help in ensuring that an organization remains relevant for a long time and attract many customers who seek to be associated with a brand.
Charismatic leaders are very considerate people. Although charisma is not the only important quality for an individual to succeed in organizational leadership, other complimentary values also play a crucial role (Winkler, 2010). Charismatic leaders should be considerate of the kind of influence they have towards organizational success. They should prioritize the needs of the organization and its stakeholders before their individual interests. Charismatic leaders should always demonstrate high emotional intelligence because of their feelings and thoughts about something can have a negative influence on others.
Experts argue that people are attracted to leaders who can control their emotions, show compassion, and act in a civilized manner (Winkler, 2010). In the context of organizational leadership, civilization refers to the ability of a leader to establish meaning by identifying with the people he or she leads. People will find meaning in something if their leaders can associate and identify with it. Experts argue that charismatic leaders ensure that people find the importance of having them around (Bass & Bass, 2009).
Studies have established that charismatic leaders are also creative, convincing, risk-takers, inspirational, and highly confident. Creativity plays a crucial role in helping leaders to be charismatic because they are able to solve problems easily and develop effective strategies for organizational development (McMahon, 2008). Charismatic leaders are very good at creating new approaches to various things and always encourage employees to be innovative.
Apart from being good communicators, charismatic leaders are good at convincing. They have the ability to win over their followers by making them understand and realize the truth about something. They apply this ability to motivate employees and make them realize their real potential, which they can achieve if they believe in themselves (McMahon, 2008). The ability to convince relates closely to risk-taking. Charismatic leaders are good at taking risks because they believe in themselves and are never afraid of testing an idea. The ability to take risks is a sure sign of someone who is confident enough.
Conclusion
Good leadership is essential for organizational success. Effective human resource planning and management is a sign of good leadership. Creating a highly-skilled, motivated, and valued workforce helps organizations to achieve their goals in an effective and efficient manner. It is important for organizational leaders to be charismatic because their ability to influence the decisions made by employees is crucial for reducing the turnover rate. A high employee turnover rate negatively influences the ability of an organization to achieve success and remain competitive. Charismatic leadership is the best approach to achieve prolonged organizational success.
References
Bass, B. M., & Bass, R. (2009). The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications. San Francisco: Simon & Schuster. Web.
Dessler, G. (2010). A Framework for Human Resource Management (6th ed.). New York: Paper Back. Web.
McMahon, T. P. (2008). Social Construction of Charismatic Leadership: A Case Study. New York: Pro Quest. Web.
Winkler, I. (2010). Contemporary Leadership Theories: Enhancing the Understanding of the Complexity, Subjectivity, and Dynamic of Leadership. New York: Springer. Web.